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In plain English
The Enchantments is a protected wilderness, so the way in is a permit. If you want to sleep in the high country, you need a permit for a specific area and night. Even a day trip needs a free permit that you fill out yourself at the trailhead.
Because the permits are limited, the sleeping plan is usually settled months ahead. If you do not get an overnight permit, a long day hike starting from a nearby town like Leavenworth is the other option. That is a lot of walking, and you need a car waiting at the other end.
The rules are the kind that protect the place: small groups, no dogs, no drones, and careful food and waste habits. There are also mountain goats that get attracted to human salt, so even how you use the bathroom is a rule.
The Enchantments is a granite basin of alpine lakes and larches in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington. Overnight camping from May 15 through October 31 requires a permit obtained in advance through Recreation.gov, where the current season's lottery timing and zones are listed, so for most backpackers, where you'll sleep is decided months before you lace up your boots. Day hikers also need a permit, but day-use permits are free and self-issued at the trailheads, and their lodging question shifts to the gateway town of Leavenworth.
Why hike here
What sets the Enchantments apart is the terrain itself: a stack of alpine lakes climbing through bare granite slabs, with larch trees that turn gold each fall and drop their needles like nowhere else in the Cascades. You climb past waterfalls and tarns, over passes with long views back down the basin, and through country that feels stripped down to rock, water, and light. The larch season in particular draws hikers who plan a full year ahead, timing a lottery permit or a shuttle day around the few weeks when the needles turn. Whether you're settling into a permitted camp beside one of the lakes or pushing through on a single long day, the basin rewards the effort with scenery that doesn't let up from trailhead to trailhead.
Getting there
Most hikers fly into Seattle, then drive east across the Cascades toward Leavenworth, the Bavarian-themed town that serves as the gateway for hotels, rentals, and supplies. From Leavenworth, the two trailheads that bookend the traverse — Stuart Lake and Snow Lakes — sit a further drive apart, which is why day hikers doing the full point-to-point route need to arrange a car shuttle between them ahead of time. Overnight permit holders typically stage out of Leavenworth the night before entering their assigned zone, then return to town once they're back down from the basin.
Where to stay
The realistic options, closest-to-the-trail first. Book through the official links — we don't list prices or availability because they change all the time.
For example: Designated camps within the permit zones (Core, Colchuck, Snow, Stuart, Eightmile)
Backpackers who win an overnight permit for the high country.
The overnight permit lottery is one of the most competitive in the country.
Enchantment Permit Area lottery (Recreation.gov)For example: Hotels, inns and rentals in the Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth
Day-through-hikers and anyone without an overnight permit.
A comfortable base for a long car-shuttle day hike.
Nearby-town lodging
Permits & rules
A permit is required for both day and overnight use: day users get a free, self-issued wilderness permit at a trailhead, and overnight use from May 15 to October 31 requires a permit obtained in advance through Recreation.gov (lottery, with leftover permits released later). The full through-hike is a very long, strenuous day. A car shuttle between the two trailheads is needed.
Gear you'll want for this trip
Matched to the terrain and conditions here. Real products — check current price on Amazon.
What the Forest Service says about permits
Some guides say day hiking is allowed without a permit. The Forest Service says something different. Its Enchantments page states that permits are required for day and overnight use in the area, that day-use permits are free and self-issued at any of the three trailheads that access the Enchantments Permit Area, and that a valid permit is required for both.1 Its permits page repeats that permits are required for day and overnight use.1 The practical reading is that a traverse in a single day still starts with a stop at a trailhead permit station.
Overnight use is limited and required from May 15 through October 31, and those permits must be obtained in advance through Recreation.gov.1 The zone names (Core, Colchuck, Snow, Stuart and Eightmile) and the lottery timing are worth checking directly on the Recreation.gov listing for the current season. Overnight parking is designated for permit holders only, and violators can be fined or towed.1 Vehicles need a valid Northwest Forest Pass, an America the Beautiful pass, or the overnight visitor parking pass that comes with an Enchantments overnight permit.1
Camp rules that decide what you pack
Eight is the maximum group size at any time, and two groups on separate permits may not travel or camp together if the total exceeds eight.1 Dogs and other pets are prohibited except service animals, drones are not allowed in wilderness, and it is illegal to leave gear or supplies unattended for more than 48 hours.1 Food storage here is by hanging. The Forest Service says to hang food, toiletries and other attractive items in camp, and to keep waste where bears, mice and other animals cannot reach it.1 NPS Leave No Trace guidance points the same way, advising campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams and to dig catholes 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails.2
The mountain goats add a rule you may not have met. The Forest Service asks visitors not to urinate on vegetation or soil, because urine attracts goats and can lead to pawing, chewing and aggressive behavior, and suggests rocks, bare sandy areas or the toilets provided.1 All soap, including biodegradable soap, pollutes water, and washing should be 150 to 200 feet from lakes and streams.1 Water must be treated by boiling, tablets or filtering.1 CDC notes that most portable filters remove parasites but not viruses or bacteria, so a filter alone may not be enough.3
Aasgard Pass, storms and the long day
The Forest Service says Aasgard Pass is often snow covered for most of the year, typically melts out by late June but in many years holds snow much later, and is especially hazardous with snow because of hidden rocks, creeks and waterfalls.1 It adds that the route is not advised for hikers who are not prepared and equipped for steep snow travel.1 For a one-day traverse, that argues for checking recent conditions and carrying the essentials NPS lists, such as extra clothing, food and water, a headlamp and first aid.4
The National Weather Service says mountain thunderstorms often build in the early afternoon, and that ridge tops and open ground are the wrong place to be.5 A long day above the lakes is exposed, so an early start matters more than the pack. For a full day, the Washington Trails Association suggests 25 to 30 liters, and for one or two nights 45 to 50.6
Common questions
How do I get a permit to camp overnight in the Enchantments?
Overnight permits are required from May 15 through October 31 and must be obtained in advance through Recreation.gov, where the current season's lottery timing and zones are listed. Demand is high, so check those dates well ahead. Because permits are so limited, most successful applicants book Leavenworth lodging only after they've secured a zone and dates.
Can I hike the Enchantments without a permit?
Yes, but not without a permit: the Forest Service requires a permit for day use too. Day-use permits are free and self-issued at any of the three trailheads. The full traverse is a very long, strenuous point-to-point route that starts at one trailhead and finishes at the other. That means arranging a car shuttle between the Stuart Lake and Snow Lakes trailheads ahead of time, since you won't return to your starting car at the end.
Where should I stay before or after hiking the Enchantments?
Leavenworth is the gateway town for the Enchantments, with hotels and rentals that work for a night before an early trailhead start or after coming off the trail. Since overnight permits are tied to specific dates and zones, it's worth booking Leavenworth accommodation around your confirmed permit rather than before you know you've won the lottery.
Complete gearsets for this trip
Full curated kits built for exactly this kind of hike — what to bring, why, and links to similar gear.
Lodging details are compiled from official parks, refuge associations and reservation systems and can change without notice. We publish no prices, availability or ratings — always confirm current information on the official site before booking or setting out. Product links and the accommodation map are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; product prices and availability are shown on Amazon, and accommodation prices on the booking site. See our affiliate disclosure.